The Truth Isn't so Terrible
by ElijahsElena
Summary: He was supposed to obey his father. Too bad for him, he's already compromised.


Ryan stood in the shadows, watching the girl. The girl who'd left him. Rage cut through him at the memory of her abandonment. How could he have been so idiotic to think that she might have cared about him, even a little?

He'd been nothing but someone to keep her company in the darkness. All he was to her was a way to try to stay sane, so she wouldn't be in complete isolation.

And now, there she was, lying there, trying to recover as the dragon in human form advanced on her. As he watched, he found himself unable to summon the glee he thought he'd feel at seeing her in such a position.

He glanced around, wondering why she was fighting alone. She'd left him alone for the people she loved, but her former friends stood off to the side, unsure of what they should do.

Scoffing under his breath, he wondered just what she saw in them for her to leave him in the pit. Cowards, the lot of them, leaving her to fight alone.

Smoke curled around the dragon's lips as Hope struggled to get to her feet, only to collapse again.

It would be so easy, taking out his gun and putting a bullet into her brain and letting the dragon finish her off so there would be no transition into a full tribrid for her. But as he watched her, he thought back to the moment she'd cast a comfort spell. For him. Maybe she had ulterior motives, but it hadn't felt like it at the time.

Before his actions even registered, he tossed his jacket aside and launched himself at the girl on the ground, wrapping himself around her, shielding her from the inferno.

The stench of his burning skin barely registered through the flames licking at his back and he screamed. Through the agony, he found the strength to meet her eyes. She stared at him, her expression shocked, then all at once, the fires stopped and the girl was on her feet.

For a long moment, nothing existed existed except for the pain of his injuries. He knew she was fighting the dragon, but he was powerless to help her. What good could he do? He was little more than an immortal human, and at the moment, he was too wounded to even move. Besides, she didn't need him.

Slowly, the lessening pain registered as did the gentle hands caressing his back, drawing the pain into a smaller and smaller area while the girl murmured a spell over him.

After a few minutes, he sat up and she held out her hand, helping him to his feet.

"I can heal without help," he muttered, feeling mutinous. Being half dressed in front of this girl with her too sharp gaze made him fight the urge to squrm.

"You saved me, and I don't like people suffering, especially because they put themselves into danger because of me."

"Like leaving me behind wouldn't make me suffer all alone with the jailer I had?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"But, he let you out." Hope studied him, her expression full of mistrust. "Why?"

"Because I made him a promise. And I failed to keep it." He winced as the words left his lips. Apparently, he was still very much under the power of the truth spell, because that was something she wasn't supposed to know.

"You were supposed to help kill me, weren't you?"

"Yes," he admitted. "Or at least assist in your death."

"So why didn't you?"

He considered his next words carefully, then finally gave up and said, "Because I couldn't imagine a world where you didn't exist."

"The last time we saw each other, you were angry with me, for good reason. Because I left you there, all alone, trapped by someone who didn't give a crap about you in any way except for what you can do for them."

He studied her face, confused. Had she forgotten that she'd cast the spell on him? Or did she not care that he was completely at her mercy? Another crack tore through his armor and he fought back the emotions welling up.

"So, why should I believe you?"

"Because I'm in love with you." He grit his teeth against the forced truth, hating himself for being unable to fight the spell.

"What?" Confusion twisted her face. Of course she'd feel that way. He was nothing to her and she was the sun.

"Go ahead. Laugh at me for falling in love with you while you were pining after my stupid little brother!" Ryan shouted, humiliation seeping into his veins at being forced to reveal to Hope how he felt about her.

"Why should I believe you?"

"I suppose it would make sense that you'd forget that you made it impossible for me to lie to you. It's not like I mean anything to you." He held his hands out to his sides.

"The truth spell, I never reversed it." She muttered a spell, then said, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He couldn't bring himself to look at her, instead focusing on the ground at their feet. Not even Malivore had managed to make him feel so small when it became clear he was sterile.

"For making you tell me something that makes you feel so vulnerable, before you were ready for me to know."

"I never planned on you finding out." He exhaled and gave a humorless laugh. "In fact, I was planning on telling you to screw yourself."

"Instead you had to answer me honestly."

"Now, I've given you one more thing to use against me, to mock me over.""

"I don't know why you think I'll make fun of you for that, because I would never laugh at someone for their feelings." Hope stepped closer to him and placed her hand over his heart.

"Don't," he choked out, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Don't what?" She looked up at him with her fathomless eyes.

"Make me feel like there might be a chance for you to feel something other than hate for me in the future."

"I don't know what I want right now and you deserve to be more than a rebound so I'm not gonna pursue that with you just yet, but I don't hate you." Hope sighed.

Her hand slid down his chest, the brush of her hand against his skin making his heart jump.

"Hope." He hardly dared to breath her name.

Standing on her tiptoes, she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Please, don't. I couldn't take it if you decided you wanted nothing to do with me if you keep it up like this."

He was vaguely aware of the students approaching them, including his idiot little brother, but he couldn't focus on them, not with Hope touching like this

Hope cupped his cheek and asked, "Would you be opposed to me kissing you when I know what I want?"

"Not at all."

A spark bloomed in his chest at the word 'when' and he didn't bother fighting it. Hope was here, touching him. She didn't even notice that his stupid little brother was watching them. She was looking at him the way he hardly dared dream she might, that faint smile curling her lips and her eyes alight.

"It won't be tonight, or tomorrow, but I actually did miss you and would like it if you were around."

"You want me to stay?" Shock prevented him from any witty quips and he knew he probably looked like a goldfish.

"Yeah. I do."

He couldn't fight the smile this time. Hope wanted him around and the way she touched him, spoke to him, it make him dare to dream of the possibility of more.


End file.
